


Frost, Fire, and Forever

by onethirdofimpossible



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Oneshot, rupphire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 19:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6164152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onethirdofimpossible/pseuds/onethirdofimpossible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby and Sapphire try the human concept of "kissing" for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frost, Fire, and Forever

Many seasons had passed since Ruby and Sapphire trapped themselves on Earth, but each discovery they made excited them as much as the first day. The thriving planet astoundingly contrasted the arid forlornness of Homeworld, where any land not covered by infrastructure was drained of resources, fractured, dead. Neither of them had lived long enough to behold the days when vegetation and smaller organisms lived, but rumor told them that there had once been. The longer they spent here, the less they understood Homeworld’s cruelty. If not for Ruby’s audacity, its pulchritude would have crumbled.  


For now, the two alternated between remaining themselves and fusion. Of course, it was an experience like no other (and not only for the thrill of defiance), but Ruby and Sapphire still had much to learn about each other. As far as homeworld had acknowledged, whoever was born in that chaotic accident was the first fusion of her kind. Together, they felt so complete, but knew so little about what they had created. It had been a long while before they even understood the warmth that swayed their cores when they even smiled at each other.  


Deliberately plucking leaves from a low-hanging branch, Ruby fought a blush from further reddening her face, but her attempts proved useless. Sapphire leaned her head against Ruby’s shoulder, softly humming a familiar tune, and Ruby held her in her lap. Sunlight filtered through the trees, peppering her skin, and she’d decorated her hair with velvety-petaled flowers. Ruby thought she’d explored the whole planet by now, but even so, nothing rivaled the beauty of Sapphire, or how chance and instinct aligned just so for these moments to be possible.  


Sapphire’s thoughts blurred; never before had she felt so peaceful. She and Ruby lived a fantasy, which sometimes made it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. Not that she cared much. Ruby showed her to appreciate the present, to decide her own future sometimes, and she became happier for it. She stirred slightly in Ruby’s arms and was amazed at how delicately she handled her. Ruby- designed to be a bellicose, disposable warrior- touched her as if she was made of glass.  


Sapphire’s eye, exposed and half-lidded, reminded Ruby of Earth’s sky, and her hair of the strange, colorless puffs in the endless blue above. She didn’t know why those appeared, but she imagined that if she were to plunge into one, that it and her wispy locks would feel the same. It was as if Sapphire matched the planet perfectly, that she was meant to be here once she accepted her deviant fate. But a ruby- in one place or another, lost or found- was inconsequential. Never had a sense of self-importance occurred to her until Sapphire suggested it: “What about you?”  


Ruby didn’t know. She only had Sapphire and whoever else they had created. No leader, no reason to fight, and no orders to follow except her own will and the occasional “Look there, Ruby!” But the planet offered so much to discover that she usually forgot to care about the past.  


Most enthralling of all were the humans. Though they lived no more than a century- an infinitesimal lifespan in light of gemkind- their triumphs were remarkable. Ruby, especially, would spend hours onlooking their progress. Often, she would tell Sapphire she wanted to visit them, but the blue gem advised her to leave them be. The Crystal Gems were humanity’s silent protectors, and she believed it should remain that way. She vaguely hoped they would meet again, if only to ask Rose Quartz why she let the pearl spare them. But now, she could see too many paths ahead for their reunion to be certain.  


Ruby didn’t notice how enticing Sapphire was until her melody cut off, suddenly but not unceremoniously, as if she had ended a performance. “Hello,” she breathed, a slight smile playing from her lips.  


“Hi.” Ruby caught her voice quiver and hitch up an octave, an ungraceful echo to Sapphire’s voice, smooth and a song of its own. She winced at herself, but Sapphire’s grin widened. “Um, you’re a lovely singer,” she continued, hoping she could fix the problem. But so long as Sapphire looked at her, her beauty would captivate her once again and defeat any chance of a coherent thought. “It… doesn’t even make sense! How can everything about you…” Ruby let her voice disappear. She adored Sapphire, but didn’t know how to be a good lover. “I know I tell you how much I love you too often already, but I don’t know how I can make you understand. I can’t be worse with words, and I don’t think being repetitive is enough for you to get it.”  


Sapphire laughed melodiously, readjusting herself so that she sat in front of the flustered gem. “You don’t have to say it perfectly for me to understand what you mean. You stutter, and sometimes don’t realize how loud you speak.” She held Ruby’s hand in gentle reaffirmation. “In all honesty, you appealed to me because of those things. You have so much personality, and I still have trouble figuring you out sometimes. I’ve never had that thrill. You still surprise me.”  


Ruby nodded, her face alighting with bliss. “Yeah, I guess so,” she said with a newfound confidence. Never was she so love-stricken than when Sapphire reminded her exactly why she loved her back. “You know, if we could always be together, I’d be the happiest gem in the universe.”  


“Always is a long commitment, love. Even we aren’t immortal.” Sapphire’s gaze fell to the fragile flora brushing the lining of her dress. “But I’m willing to make forever happen.”  


Neither noticed how soon dusk had arrived until their gems shone, simultaneously captivated, and brightened the surrounding wilderness. They took a moment to just watch each other be, enjoying the romantic tension but unsure how to advance.  


She wasn’t sure why she thought of it, because the idea seemed so foreign, so intimate. It wouldn’t even hold the same merit as it would for humans. But Ruby recalled, when she sometimes compared their behavior to her own, how poignant their gestures of affection struck her. Realistically, there shouldn’t be anything scary about it. Humans knew always to return it, and were even taught to expect it someday.  


It was called a “kiss.” Ruby didn’t know why the scheme of it fired her up, but her wonder made her twitterpated. Possessed by a staccato burst of adrenaline, she felt herself lean forward and clumsily peck Sapphire on the cheek. This time, it had none of the mutual passion she had seen and coveted, but her head spun. Ruby pulled away, shocked by her audacity.  


At first, Sapphire thought she couldn’t keep up with reality, as she struggled to collect her composure from her silent puzzlement. She couldn’t tell if five seconds or five minutes had passed before she could elicit a response from herself; Ruby’s clear apprehension suggested that perhaps she had waited too long. “I… don’t understand what you did,” she admitted, furrowing her brow and raising her hand to cup her cheek.  


“Oh. I thought you had seen it before,” Ruby said after a beat. “Humans do it when they love each other. Like, putting their lips together, but more dramatic. I thought maybe we could try it.”  


Sapphire didn’t bother fighting an amused rush of giggles, which quickly developed into joyous laughter. She aligned Ruby’s hand over her own, protecting where she had kissed her, and listened to the other gem mimic her gaiety. “Oh, my precious Ruby!” she exclaimed, collecting her composure and throwing herself forward into her lap again. “So full of wonder, so charming I don’t know what to do with you! Perhaps this will suffice?”  


Sapphire gently tipped Ruby’s face to near hers. Icy lips chilled her forehead, a silent declaration that, yes, she saw through her the wildfire in her soul to the opportunistic kindness that burned beneath, and of course, she loved her for it. A blistering heat swept through Ruby’s face, unsure how to answer her kiss, and Sapphire concealed her shock as best as possible when she pulled away. “Was I doing it?”  


“Yeah, that was great. I mean, um.” Ruby, admittedly, had little idea of what she was doing; surely they had done something right if a rush of emotions tempted them both to try it again. “Well, sometimes if they’re lovers, it’s more romantic if both do it together, with their lips touching.”  


Sapphire pondered this, then looked at Ruby quizzically. “Humans breathe through their mouths to live, right? They wouldn’t be able to when they…”  


“Kiss.”  


“...Then I wonder if, when they kiss, they mean to entrust their lives to each other.”  


Ruby knew she could trust Sapphire with hers, but hearing the gentle confidence of Sapphire’s voice made her feel as if she could finally trust herself with theirs together. This world must be merciful to give her that chance. “Yeah? Then it’s perfect.”  


Sapphire gave a low hum in consideration, but hesitated. Ruby wondered when either of them (and who) would pull the other in; Sapphire watched the distance between their lips, and after transient thought, leaned forward. She acted without needing to search the future for possible consternation, something Ruby had taught her was okay. Somehow, she could enjoy it more: Ruby’s cautious return of the kiss, the tickle of their eyelashes brushing against the others’, electricity shrouding her each time Ruby breathed against her skin. She certainly didn’t foresee their gems illuminating and washing them both in a violet glow, either, but neither retreated before their bodies merged.  


Yes, definitely perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh, this was so fun to write! I was inspired to write this from a headcanon that had been floating around: something along the lines of "Kissing isn't really a gem thing, so Ruby and Sapphire must have learned it from humans."  
> This is my first fanfic I've published for SU and on this site, and I'd be more than happy to hear any suggestions/criticism you may have. Thanks so much for reading; leave kudos and a comment if you wish!


End file.
